Category: western fiction

May 1932 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

May 1932 issue

cover art by J. W. Schlaikjer

better image than previously posted

~ Thomson Burtis, “The Death of a Deal”, ‘Slats Kirke, minor boxing manager, 1st person’, 3rd of 6 appearances in BM

~ Paul Cain, “Black”, 1st of 2 with Black, 1st person, Hollywood, later released as one of the Seven Slayers (1950 Avon), reprinted in The Complete Slayers (2011 Centipede Press), Black Mask: The Complete Stories (2013 Mysterious Press), Lead Party: The Complete Fiction Works of Paul Cain (Steeger, 2024), 3rd of 17 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Amateur Murderer”, 44th of 53 with Race Williams, part 2 of 4, published as a novel in 1933, reprinted in If Death is Respectable: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.4 (Altus, 2018), 56th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Under the Guns”, 43 of 73 stories with Ed Jenkins, 60th of 99 stories in BM

~ Hapsburg Liebe, “The Wolf of Rowdy House”, ‘Western’, last of 4 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Backwash”, 18th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, reprinted in Shakedown: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.2 (Altus, 2013), 39 of 67 stories in BM

~ Bertrand W(illiam) Sinclair, “The Spider in His Web”, ‘Western detective story’, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Walking Dynamite”, 2nd of 3 stories with PI Don Free, 2nd story in this issue by RFW, 58th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

[cover updated 11/8/25]

October 1928 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

October 1928 issue

cover art by Fred Craft

better image than previously posted

~ Tom Curry, “Supercrook”, 14th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, 28th of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Last Shot”, 27th of 53,‘Race Williams vs. The Hidden Hand; last of 5 loosely organized 5-pt. serial’, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 39th of 71 appearances in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Black Sheep’s Return”, ‘Flash Powell; Western’, 12th of 39 stories in BM

~ John W. McCardell, “Warren of Granite Canyon”, ‘Western’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Dog Eat Dog”, 2nd of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, ‘2nd of the ‘Crimes of Richmond City’ sub-series, reprinted in The Black Lizard Big Book of Pulps (Vintage, 2007), reprinted in Raw Law: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.1 (Altus, 2013), 14 of 67 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “A Song in the Night”, ‘Border tale; Juárez’, 1st of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Ghost Guns”, ‘Mac, Ben Greed; 5th of 6 in Border Brand series’, reprinted in Border Brand (Steeger, 2024), 25th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

April 1929 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

 April 1929 issue

cover art by H. C. Murphy

better image than previously posted

~ Tom Curry, “The Star”, 17th of 23 with Macnamara (Mac), NYPD 1st grade dick, 31st of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “A Pretty Bit of Shooting”, 29th of 53 with Race Williams, ‘The Flame’ aka Florence Drummond, ‘The Girl with the Criminal Mind’, 2nd of a loosely organized 4-pt. serial; pub. as The Tag Murders (1930)’, reprinted in The Snarl of the Beast: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.2 (Altus, 2016), 41st of 71 appearances in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “No Questions Asked”, 27th of 73 Ed Jenkins stories, with Helen Chadwick, 40th of 99 stories in BM

~ Nels Leroy Jorgensen, “Crooks Assorted”, 9th of 32 with Stuart “Black” Burton, ‘square-shooting gambler from the Southwest, often entangled with the law’, 13th of 39 stories in BM

~ Frederick L. Nebel, “Law without Law”, 4th of 37 with Captain Steve MacBride and local reporter Kennedy, 4th of the ‘Crimes of Richmond City’ sub-series, reprinted in Raw Law: Complete Cases of MacBride & Kennedy, v.1 (Altus, 2013), 16 of 67 stories in BM

~ Edward Parrish Ware, “The Six-Gun Showdown”, ‘Western novelette’, last of 9 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “The Pay-Off”, Gary Greer, 3rd (of 9) in the Laughing Dead series, ‘presented as separate stories rather than conventional serial; pub. As Five (1931) under the pseudonym of Temple Field’, 29th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]. Reprinted in Laughing Death (Steeger Books, 2021).

April 1928 issue ~ cover art by Fred Craft

April 1928 issue

better image than previously posted

cover art by Fred Craft

~ William Donald Bray, “The Trick Play”, Western, 5th of 12 stories in BM

~ Tom Curry, “Wheels Within Wheels”, DeVrite, NYPD undercover ‘secret agent’, 3rd of 7, 22nd of 39 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “The Law of Silence”, ‘1st half of a crime story with Charlie, 1st person narrator’, 32nd of 71 appearances in BM

~ Joseph E. Dash, “Cass Munroe Plays a Hand”, Western, only story in BM

~ Bob Du Soe, “A Score Settled”, ‘action in NYC night clubs’, last of 3 stories in BM

~ Erle Stanley Gardner, “Snow Bird”, 21st of 73 with Ed Jenkins stories, with Paul Boardman and the others, 31st of 99 stories in BM

~ Leslie N. Johnson, “The Killing of Antone Mulvaney”, ‘ex-con attempts vengeance’, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ W.H.B. Kent, “The Killer Comes In”, 2nd of 6 Westerns with Killer Blake, deputy sheriff & agent of the Stock Association

~ David Thibault, “Muddy Waters”, ‘fighting crooks against Mississippi-flood background’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Everett H. Tipton, “Noose Law”, ‘Western’, 4th of 7 stories in BM

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “Little Guns”, ‘police & gangsters in Center City’, 19th of 67 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

June 1931 issue ~ cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

June 1931 issue

cover art by J.W. Schlaikjer

~ Eugene Cunningham, “Gunhands”, Western with Bob Burney, 5th of 14 stories in BM

~ Carroll John Daly, “’The Flame’ and Race Williams”, 39th of 53 with RW, part 1 of 3, ‘pub.as The Third Murderer (1931)’, reprinted in Shooting out of Turn: The Collected Hard-boiled Stories of Race Williams, v.3 (Altus, 2017), 51st of 71 appearances in BM

~ James P. Olsen, “Gunman’s Goal”, ‘Tip Wing’, last of 6 Western stories in BM

~ Earl and Marion Scott, “Lights Out at Benetti’s”, 5th of 6 stories with ‘Phil Craleigh, once brilliant lawyer, now a drunk, given to bouts of reform’, Benetti’s is a nightclub, 15th of 17 stories in BM as a couple

~ Stewart Stirling, (‘possible pseud. of Stewart Sterling?’), “Two-Timer”, 2nd of 8 stories with ‘Johnny Hi Gear, a.k.a. K-5, Undercover Agent’ [Sterling and Stirling were pen names of Nathaniel Prentice Winchell, 20 total stories in BM]. Reprinted in Boomerang Dice: The Complete Black Mask Cases of Johnny Hi Gear (Steeger Books, 2020).

~ Raoul [Fauconnier] Whitfield, “For Sale – Murder”, ‘Center City yarn, Gil Baggart, a square dick’, sequel to “Soft City” in previous issue, 49th of 68 stories in BM [see also 24 stories as Ramon Decolta]

 ©Seattle Mystery Bookshop